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Research paper topic: Multiple Source Essay - 1089 words

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Multiple Source Essay Just a Label Feminism is a
subject that many people in modern society have a
great deal of difficulty understanding. The main
question that most people struggle with is " What
exactly does it mean to be a feminist?" In my
opinion, the word " feminist" is basically a label
that has no specific meaning. The meaning depends
upon personal opinions, beliefs, or stereotypes of
a specific person. In other words, a feminist has
a different meaning for every single person. Some
people associate feminists with negativity and
others find them to be courageous individuals who
are not afraid to stand up for what they believe
in.

I plan to dissect the concept of what a
feminist is by looking into the areas of the
labeling and stereotypes of feminists, the
difference between gender feminism and equity
feminism, and the effect media has on feminism.
When people are asked what they think feminism is,
most usually get a clear idea or picture in their
head. They may think of specific person that they
correspond with feminism, or they may simply think
of womens rights. As Farnham notes in "Male
Bashing or Whats in a Name?" , the most important
definition of a feminist at this historical moment
is the common meaning of the term on the street,
in the dorms, and on the talk shows. That
definition of a feminist can be summed up in the
label " male-basher" (9). Along with the many
negative labels, come many stereotypes of what a
feminist should believe, look like, and even
sexually prefer.

Sternhell, author of "The Proper
Study of Womankind," adds input into the
categorization and stereotypes of feminists. After
studying Sternhell found that many feminists are
categorized and labeled as foolish people who are
known for their closemindedness, hypocritical
points of view, and infighting (331). Indeed,
these stereotypes do have a definite effect on the
thinking of many young women and men. These young
men and women have the misconception that to be a
feminist one must live in poverty, critique
constantly, be hostile towards men, never marry,
censor pornography, and /or worship a goddess
(Farnham 9). "When I think of a feminist, I think
of a single, short-haired, blameful, hostile
woman," states a students a the University of San
Francisco (7).

According to Farnham, this reflects
the contemporary shift from a focus on who is a
feminist to what a feminist believes- a shift from
equating feminists with lesbians to insisting that
feminism is nothing more than male bashing. Yet,
if feminism is seen to be nothing more than
trashing half the population, then who could be
for that? Because there are feminists who share
different points of view and focus on specific
areas of feminism, there are many different
branches of feminism. According to Beth Sommers, a
professor of Womens Studies, feminism today is bad
feminism, or what is known as " gender feminism"
(Sternhell 331). As described by Farnham, gender
feminists believe that women are systematically
oppressed, and that our social and political
arrangements assume and support male dominance.
What she means by this is simply all the power and
control of our country is in the hands of, for the
most part, men. Sternhell states, "American
feminism is currently dominated by women who seek
to persuade the public that the world is built
around a " sex/gender system" in which the
dominant gender (men) work to keep women cowering
and submissive" (331).

As mentioned before, women
with this belief seem to portray a negative image
towards feminists. For example, Wendy Schwags, a
self-declared feminist, claims, "men are enemies,
they are colonizers." (Gage 264). These examples
are all connected to the fact that feminism is
simply a label and revolves around personal
points-of-view. Another type of feminism is equity
feminism. Practitioners of equity feminism simply
want equal rights under the law; they dont feel
like victims and they arent angry at men
(Sternhell 332).

However, the concept of equity
feminism, for the most part seems to have died a
hundred years ago. It seems as though society has
been focused on what is sexist, what is offending,
and what is feminism that we have lost sight of
the original form of feminists, equity feminists
(Farnham 8). Also, the media has had quite an
impact on feminism and feminists. Teachers have
long been familiar with the reluctance of students
and undergraduates to identify themselves as
feminists. Farnham states, "A lot of young women
dont want to be called feminist because, hey,
listen to Rush Limbaugh, and youve heard it all.
Its equated with being a lesbian, fat, and ugly!"
(7).

Unfortunately, women who might be attracted
to the movements push for equality are turned off
by what they think being a feminist entails. The
reigning media stereotype does not permit a
feminist to like men, relish being sexy, enjoy
fashion, or find satisfaction in homemaking
(Sternhell 330). Yet, actually, the stereotype
fits closer to that of an anti-social than a woman
fighting for equal rights. This notion of what
people think it means to be a feminist in everyday
terms explains why polls show most Americans
favoring feminist goals, like equal pay for equal
work, but frequently disavowing the term. In fact,
when "feminist" is used in polls instead of "
womens movement", support drops (Farnham 7).

Once
again, this evidence proves the point that
"feminist" is a label that automatically triggers
negative thoughts into peoples heads. Moreover, in
1990, a poll found that only 29 percent of U.S.
women considered themselves to be feminists
(Sternhell 330). Many women simply do not want to
put themselves into a category or group that is
looked down upon. As you can see, the negative
images, stereotypes, and labels associated with
being a feminist have a strong impact on who
considers themselves one, and who actually is one.
We can also see that many of the women who claim
to be feminists are merely " gender feminists" who
are more concerned with male bashing and
critiquing society, than trying to make a
difference or change in the equal rights movement
for women. The media also has a great impact on
feminism by using television, specifically talk
shows, to their advantage.

In closing, equity
feminists should remember to strive for equal
rights and not to lose sight of that intended
goal. Personally, I would define feminism as a
goal towards equal rights in our gender system,
but would also have the same labels and
stereotypes of a feminist in the back of my mind.
After realizing that feminism is often labeled and
stereotyped, what would you personally consider
feminism?.